Viking Weapons and Combat Techniques starts with a consideration of the nature
of Viking society with particular emphasis on the role of arms
and armour within that culture and a discussion of what resources
presently survive to allow interpretation and reconstruction
of combat techniques. Chapters on Viking Age personal defenses
(shields, helmets, mail, etc.) and the full range of weapons
(battle axes, spears, saxes, swords, bows, etc.) are supported
with period and later manuscript illustrations, photographs of
antique and reproduction Viking style arms and armour and location
photographs of places referenced in the sagas. The author has
long held a deep interest in the Icelandic sagas and the fruits
of his long study of these near contemporary accounts is well
shared to embroider and enhance the description and discussion
of the various armour and weapon types.

A long chapter is provided on Viking
Age sword and shield combat techniques and considers descriptions
in the sagas, possible survivals of Viking Age technique enduring
in later combat manuals and what can be forensically determined
today by martial artists with accurate reproductions in hand.

Initial qualms of "yet another
re-enactor rehash" were quickly quashed early into reading
this book. I find it easy to recommend this lucently written
new work upon the virtues of the firm grasp it imparts to its
reader about what is known about the role of arms and armour
in Viking society as well its considerations of what remains
unknown, its wide coverage of the diverse material components
of warfare in use at the time and its credible interpretation
and enthusiastic, yet restrained, speculation towards how these
material artifacts may have been employed.